EP35 "How We Learn to Move - Part 4" with Dr. Rob Gray

Welcome to Episode #35 of the Trainers Bullpen, the final edition in our ‘’How We Learn to Move” series with Dr. Rob Gray

Rob Gray is a psychology professor and research psychologist with a focus on perceptual-motor control in driving, aviation, and sports. He also hosts the Perception & Action Podcast, is the author of two bestselling books on the acquisition of movement skills ‘How We Learn To Move’ and ‘Learning to Optimize Movement’, and he serves as the Skill Acquisition Specialist for the Boston Red Sox.

In this interview, Dr. Gray discusses the key aspects from chapters 7 and 8 of How We Learn to Move. Rob provides insights on how coaches and trainers can consider the Constraints Led Approach of a new way forward in facilitating the development of adaptability and decision making in our officers.

Further, Rob discusses the importance of understanding the kinetic chain and how that relates to the manner in which we set up movement drills and also how the conditions of the original learning environment are so important for creating resilience and ‘stickiness’ of our performer’s skills.

Additional topics covered in this interview are the importance of destabilization, self-exploration and self-organization, how to amplify information in order to invite affordances for action, structured variability as a critical aspect for motor learning and the critical need for ‘perturbances’ during learning – which is a concept pretty much completely at odds with current law enforcement training.

This interview contains practical insights on how trainers should understand and apply aspects of the Constraints Led Approach to help our officers develop the critical cognitive and physical skills they need on the street!